My War Memories, 1914-1918
time he always upheld, and with uncommon ability, the interests of the Dual Monarchy. In dealing with his Imperial master he showed calmness and firmness. Nevertheless, he lent his authority to the pardon o£ the Czechs, and to the Emperor's vacillating policy toward the subject peoples. He remained in office, although he did not approve of the pardon, and although this step, symptomatic as it was of the impending collapse of the Dual Monarchy, was bound to make peace more difficult, and to strengthen the hopes of the Entente for victory.
Personally I had a great liking for the Count, and took no little pleasure in his conversation. Unfortunately he was too ready to repeat the Wilhelmsirasse gossip about my " dictatorship." I often explained to him how unfounded this supposition was. His political confession of nth December, iyi*S, was no surprise to me, having regard to his general view of the war.
General von Arz was made Chief of the General Stall of the Austro-Hungarian Army, in the place of General von Conrad, who took over the command of the Anny Group on the Tirol front. I had always been on terms of the greatest eonlicUince with General von Conrad, so that from the personal point of view I saw this great General leave his ofiice with unmixed regret.
My relations with General von Arz were, however, to become even more intimate. He was a convinced friend of the German Empire and the German Army. During tins summer campaign of 1915 he had commanded the 6th Au$iru»Uun^arian Army Corps as part of the nth Army, and in close co-operation \sith German troops had led it with such ability us to earn for himself and his corps the highest German regard, As Commander of the ist Army in Transylvania he did everything that was humanly possible in view of its composition. He endeavoured to establish cordial relations between the German and the Austro-Hungarian troops in his army, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to their training. Perhaps not so agile of mind as General von Conrad, he was a soldier of sound grasp, who did his utmost to improve the Austrian Army, and make the country give it everything it needed* He did all that could be done,
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